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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22409608">Guardian Angel</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/chancellorxofxtrash/pseuds/chancellorxofxtrash'>chancellorxofxtrash</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Chaos Zexal Trilogy [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Aged-Up Character(s), High School, Implied Relationships, M/M, Post-Canon, Pre-Relationship, Teenagers, Vector is being his own lovely self, also there might or might not be a zexal fusion involved here, implied shark/yuma as well, kinda stalkery behaviour, mild body horror, probably, this is vector we are talking about it's not gonna be wholesome</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-01-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-01-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 03:13:53</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,513</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22409608</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/chancellorxofxtrash/pseuds/chancellorxofxtrash</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Vector liked to keep an eye out. Just in case.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Tsukumo Yuuma/Vector</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Chaos Zexal Trilogy [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1865443</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>79</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Guardian Angel</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Vector was vaguely aware that he should have contributed to society somewhat. He, just like the other Barian Emperors, mostly lived as a human now. Mostly. They were still weird alien weirdos, as Nasch liked to point it out (despite the fact that he also was a weird alien weirdo himself), but he figured everyone else was doing their best.</p><p>Slowly, in waves, all of them graduated middle school, and not all of them went to the same high school, but it didn’t mean they stopped contacting each other.</p><p>Once you went through hell together, it absolutely put things into perspective, apparently, and it was hard to completely leave each other behind, Vector figured.</p><p>So he could have went to school, he figured.</p><p>He just really, really did not want to.</p><p>He liked to watch, though.</p><p>He liked to lurk just outside their corner of vision, watch them get into more and more ridiculous disasters. Whenever something new threat would arise, he would poke his head in, and as soon as it would be resolved, he would leave again.</p><p>Well.</p><p>That sounded very generous.</p><p>In reality, it wasn’t quite like that. While sure, he wasn’t around <em> all </em> the time, he was around <em> enough. </em> He would see how Nasch’s face would turn into a scowl, how Mizael looked always two seconds away from throwing Vector out a window, and even Kaito Tenjo once looked at him, and told him with an ice cold voice, that as soon as he sees <em> anything, </em>he will take his soul and not look back.</p><p>Which - harsh, but fair.</p><p>And to be honest, it was fun to annoy them, and always keep out of range for anything they would throw at him - be it books, chairs, tables, Orbital 7 (although it was hard to tell whether he was thrown, or jumped at Vector willingly), Tokunosuke (thanks to Alit), and on one occasion, somehow, in the middle of the city, a bear (thanks Gilag).</p><p>But really, a lot of times - Vector just liked to lurk.</p><p>And watch.</p><p>Or rather, keep an eye out, as he liked to call it.</p><p>Yuma was… well, still Yuma. Endless energy and enthusiasm, happy to meet, befriend and duel anyone. Sometimes not even in this order.</p><p>Of course every bond he previously created was still there - there wasn’t a single day that went by without at least two people did not just <em> happen </em>to hang out with Yuma. Some came more often than others, who were still playing the aloof-game (not like they fooled anyone, right, Kaito). And on top of that, he was creating new bonds, quickly forging new friendships at his high school.</p><p>And of course it didn’t happen seamlessly, not all the time. Sometimes there were arguments, or fights, and especially the senior students were not fans of this new kid, who was oddly good at duelling, and just so… <em> weird. </em></p><p>Vector was vaguely aware a bullying attempt had been made.</p><p>Keyword: attempt.</p><p>Yuma didn’t know about it, but when Nasch and Alit showed up around the school, Vector just walked out of an alley and joined them, and neither of them said a word about it.</p><p>It still wasn’t often that they agreed on something. There were seven Barian Emperors, and while they didn’t really… lead anymore, even when they did, they did have a lot of arguments over different things.</p><p>But this one, they did not even need words to know they agreed.</p><p>Obviously the guys in question went to school afterwards - they had <em> some </em>restraint.</p><p>But the bullying attempt stopped at that.</p><p> </p><p>~*~</p><p> </p><p>There were other situations of course - like that time Yuma went out to an arcade one evening with his new friends, and Vector, walking around the place, he overheard some guys talking about mugging them.</p><p>(“Maybe you don’t do that?”</p><p>Vector’s voice was sweet and playful, as he let the guy’s head go. Maybe he slammed the guy’s face into the wall, so letting him go caused him to fall over.</p><p>The other guys looked at him, eyes wide, and Vector smiled.</p><p>“Or are you gonna do that?”</p><p>They shook their heads in unison.)</p><p>Or that time there was a mini tournament at Yuma’s high school, and one of the guys was regularly cheating.</p><p>Vector replaced the guy’s entire deck before he got paired up with Yuma.</p><p>(Obviously Yuma ended up befriending that guy. Of course he did.)</p><p>In a sense, he figured, Vector was not alone with this. Everyone who had fought by Yuma’s side, or even against Yuma, or both were ready to bounce every time there was something.</p><p>(Vector isn’t sure it wasn’t Kaito who got one of the teachers fired who was for some reason intent to make Yuma’s life hell. It might have been V who did it. Hard to tell.)</p><p>Almost everyone did it, Vector was aware.</p><p>And he did not care, not one bit.</p><p>He would walk sometimes out of Yuma’s sight. Maybe on rooftops, or edges, a bit in the distance. Looking over him, watching out.</p><p>Almost like a sort of guardian angel.</p><p>Which was the funniest thought he ever head, and he snickered about it for two days. In a way, he figured it was fitting - his true form had wings, after all, and he <em> did </em>pose as a Barian Guardian at one point in his life.</p><p>Technically speaking he <em> was </em>a Barian Guardian now. Because he was a Barian, who guarded Yuma.</p><p>He explained it to Durbe once, and Durbe looked like he was halfway between having a stroke and buying some strong alcohol for himself to drown his sorrows with. To be fair, that was almost Durbe’s usual state whenever Vector was around and opened his mouth.</p><p>“No, Vector,” Durbe said in the end, with a strained voice. “That is not nearly how any of it works.”</p><p>Anyway, Vector was sure that was exactly how it worked.</p><p> </p><p>~*~</p><p> </p><p>It was inevitable that sooner or later another big threat would surface. That was the kind of life they had. If they all had multiple ties to parallel worlds, it was kind of inevitable.</p><p>This wasn’t the first crisis they faced since the war either. Not even the first they faced after they returned from their mission in the Astral World.</p><p>A lot of things tend to happen, and there are a lot of weird things in the universe.</p><p>He couldn’t put a finger on the tension in the air. He couldn’t tell what was that made him feel uneasy… no, uneasy is not the best word.</p><p>It was like all of his senses were on high alert all the time - and he knew he wasn’t the only one - all of the other Emperors seemed to be on edge.</p><p>Which meant it was something relating to Chaos, probably.</p><p>Wasn’t it always?</p><p>(Actually, it wasn’t always, the Astral beings could start their own bullshit enough with no problem, thank you very much.)</p><p>But something was approaching. It was like a calm before a storm, and Vector was sure of it.</p><p>So he found himself circling Yuma’s school more those days - after all, if something is going to erupt, Yuma will be probably one of their first targets.</p><p>And he was right.</p><p>He was in a small alley when he heard a voice from the other side of a smaller wall.</p><p>“You want to duel me? But why?”</p><p>Yuma’s voice</p><p>And then laughter. Odd, distorted laughter, followed with a second, unknown voice.</p><p>“Does it matter? You love to duel don’t you? So duel us. But if we win, we are taking you with us.”</p><p>“...me?”</p><p>Then a third voice.</p><p>“If you don’t duel us, we are just gonna take you with force.”</p><p>Huh.</p><p>That’s how they wanted to play it, huh?</p><p>It was easy to vault over the small wall, and he landed on the other side - right next to Yuma, who was backed up against the wall.</p><p>“....Shingetsu?!”</p><p>Ah.</p><p>Right.</p><p>The one person who still called him that.</p><p>“Last name still? Well fine then.”</p><p>Vector smirked, straightening up, looking at the two guys - nondescript guys, really. One looked like a biker, the other like a hipster. The only weird thing about them was this odd aura that surrounded them.</p><p>Right.</p><p>“Two on one? Come on now. We should make it fair, shouldn’t we?”</p><p>The hipster’s grin grew wider, before laughing again - so with the same, distorted laugh that Vector heard from the other side of the wall.</p><p>“Sure, why not? We can take a Barian Emperor with us as well.”</p><p>Yuma looked at him, his eyes searching Vector’s face - and Vector just inclined his head.</p><p>“What you say, should we teach them a lesson?”</p><p>Then Yuma smiled, with that same, bright smile that barely changed through the years.</p><p>“Sure!”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Duel disk, set! </em>
</p><p>
  <em> D-glazer, set! </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Duel! </em>
</p><p> </p><p>~*~</p><p> </p><p>He hadn’t duelled with Yuma since then.</p><p>Maybe there would have been a chance for it, but it just never happened. They did not face off each other since Sargasso, and they definitely did not team up since that time when Vector still called himself Rei Shingetsu, since that time they faced off Gilag.</p><p>“Hey. This is our first official tag duel, isn’t it?”</p><p>Yuma’s eyes lit up, and he nodded enthusiastically.</p><p>“Yup! Let’s bring it to ‘em, Shingetsu!”</p><p>Of course he would say that.</p><p>“I start then. I draw!”</p><p>And this was the first time Vector actually duelled <em> together </em>with Yuma. When he wasn’t pretending to be a fool, but doing his best.</p><p>Duelling with Yuma had a rush - he had watched so many of his duels from the distance. With Astral, they barely needed to communicate, and he hated it, but even with Nasch they seemed to have reached that point too. Even Kaito worked together with Yuma well, and honestly, when they were all together, they were unstoppable. (Vector learnt that one the hard way, way back then, through Faker.)</p><p>It wasn’t that simple here, with the two of them. Their decks did not fit together organically, so both of them had to work hard, and both of them had to protect each other to keep their life points intact as much as they could.</p><p>There was something wrong with their opponents though - their monsters, their spells, their traps way too strong, way harder to counter, and it was almost like they knew exactly the type of cards they had.</p><p>Which meant Vector and Yuma’s Life Points were depleting faster than their opponents’ Life Points were.</p><p>Which was never ideal.</p><p>One especially hard attack knocked Vector backwards, making him hit his back on the wall, and he groaned in pain---</p><p>“Rei!”</p><p>Vector collapsed to the ground in pain, but when he opened his eyes, a grin was already creeping up on his face, looking up at a concerned Yuma.</p><p>“Awwww. Finally you reached first name basis with me. All we needed to team up in a duel again?”</p><p>(Technically it wasn’t his first name. But he was going to take it.)</p><p>Yuma’s face was still full with concern, as he extended a hand.</p><p>“Get up. We need to press on, come on.”</p><p>Vector took his hand (his soft, warm hand, still just as stable as it was back then), allowing Yuma to pull him to his feet.</p><p>“Well then. Any ideas?”</p><p>Yuma let go of his hand, chewing on his lip.</p><p>“It’s going to be my turn, but if I…”</p><p>If he won’t draw a good card, they are in trouble.</p><p>“Shining Draw?”</p><p>Yuma looked embarrassed.</p><p>“Without Astral it’s… hard to do. Doesn’t always work.”</p><p>Well.</p><p>“You could do it all the time while you did Zexal.”</p><p>“Yeah, but… I can’t do Zexal alone either.”</p><p>“I am here.”</p><p>He said it without thinking, and Yuma looked at him, eyes wide.</p><p>“...you?”</p><p>Vector shrugged.</p><p>“The first Barians were ones that the Astral World rejected. The two worlds were and now <em> are </em> the same. If it works with Astral… maybe it would work with a Barian too.”</p><p>Yuma still looked at him stunned, and Vector tilted his head, a grin slowly creeping up on his face.</p><p>“Of course you need to trust someone for that completely, right? Is that a problem, Yuma? Can you trust little old me?”</p><p>“...yes. I trust you, Vector.”</p><p>“And here we are, with my real name. But trusting me - don't you ever think that is a bad idea?”</p><p>Yuma pouted with puffing up his cheeks, turning his head away.</p><p>“Are you trying to talk me out of it?”</p><p>“No. But you and I both know how badly can it go. Are you willing to take that leap of faith with me, Yuma?”</p><p>There was silence for a few moments, before Yuma looked back at him, eyes suddenly completely serious.</p><p>“I am. Let’s try it.”</p><p>“What are you two talking about? Aren’t you starting your turn?”</p><p>The biker opponent snickered, and Vector rolled his eyes.</p><p>“Well. If this won’t work it will be super awkward.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Me…” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “And I…” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “We overlay!” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “We build the overlay network with the two of us!” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>It worked.</p><p> </p><p>~*~</p><p> </p><p>It was disorienting at first - his… <em> their </em>body was heavier than either of them were used to, but Vector could feel Yuma quickly find their balance. They were wearing armor - black and dark violet coloured, and Vector couldn’t help but notice how it kind of looked like... </p><p>
  <em> Like Hope Ray V. </em>
</p><p>He wasn’t sure which one of them thought it, but he felt a pang in their chest - it’s been a while since Yuma could use Hope, and it’s been a while he summoned Hope Ray V. And yet, their armor now was reminiscent of that, but their arms were free - their skin was normal coloured, but in their skin, there were gems embedded, just like in Vector’s own body.</p><p>Also they had wings.</p><p>Wings spread from their backs, moving tentatively, as they figured out how to hold their balance with that.</p><p>They glanced at the window of the building next to them, and they saw their hair longer than either of theirs - spiky, red and and orange, most reminiscent in shape of Yuma and Astral’s second Zexal form. Their eyes mismatched, red and purple, dark markings on their face.</p><p>And they did not have a mouth.</p><p>
  <em> H… how do we even talk like this? How do you even talk like this? </em>
</p><p>Feeling Yuma’s lowkey panic, Vector couldn’t help but be amused.</p><p>
  <em> All these years knowing us, never thought to ask? Just leave the speaking to me. </em>
</p><p>“Wh… what is going on?”</p><p>The biker opponent of stepped backwards, and the hipster laughed out loud.</p><p>“You fused? Really? How do you plan on continuing a <em> tag duel </em>like this?”</p><p>Vector laughed, a manic laugh escaping their new body, even without the mouth - now that was something he was used to, this new body was odd and new but communicating? That was something he knew how to do.</p><p>“It doesn’t matter. This will be the last turn of this duel either way.”</p><p>Their face contorted, their eyes narrowed in the best expression of a <em> grin </em>that was possible without actually having a mouth. They raised their hands (clawed hands, they noticed, there were sharp claws on their hands), putting their fingers on the cards.</p><p>“Our turn. We draw. And the best duelist always gets the card they want, you know? So just watch and learn.”</p><p> </p><p>~*~</p><p> </p><p>They won.</p><p>Obviously.</p><p>After they won, the biker and the hipster fell over, and they seemed to have forgotten everything.</p><p>Just useless brainwashed goons.</p><p>But it was definitely the start of <em> something. </em></p><p>They stood there a bit longer like that, even after the biker and the hipster ran away - still in one body, one heart beating extremely fast, taking deep breaths together, as if trying to calm down. It was… almost intoxicating, and Vector considered just staying like that, the two of them, and like this he could feel, he <em> knew </em>there was a part of Yuma’s that…</p><p>Then they defused.</p><p>Yuma immediately wobbled a little, and Vector reached out, catching him by his waist, holding him up.</p><p>“Hey, hey. Watch out, would you?”</p><p>Yuma’s eyes opened, a bit glossed over.</p><p>“Fusing with you is more tiring than fusing with Astral.”</p><p>Vector chuckled, raising his free hand, brushing Yuma’s hair out from his face.</p><p>“Well, you are used to fusing with someone from the Astral World. I guess this is Chaos for you. Chaos Zexal, if you will.”</p><p>Yuma smiled, a bright, if tired smile.</p><p>“Chaos Zexal. Yeah, I like the sound of that.”</p><p>The two of them stood there, and Vector was extremely aware, just how close Yuma was to him, and---</p><p>And then Yuma’s stomach growled.</p><p>Silence.</p><p>“Wow. Mood ruiner.”</p><p>“I can’t help it!” Yuma complained, face reddening. “I’m hungry! I told you this took a lot out of me, so it’s your fault. So we need to eat. C’mon, I know a good place.”</p><p>Vector wanted to ask if this was Yuma’s way of asking him out.</p><p>He did not.</p><p> </p><p>~*~</p><p> </p><p>Another thing that did not change through the years: Yuma’s appetite.</p><p>They were in a small diner, in one of the boxes, and Yuma was absolutely shoveling the food into his mouth.</p><p>“One would think you were starving for days.”</p><p>“Hush there. I was hungry.”</p><p>“I could notice that.”</p><p>Vector had no idea why he glanced up when the door opened.</p><p>Maybe it was a feeling.</p><p>But sure enough, it was a very familiar figure who walked in.</p><p>As soon as Yuma saw him, he immediately straightened his back, and started waving.</p><p>“Shark! Hey, Shark! Over here! Shark!”</p><p>Nasch looked over, frowning a little, seeing the two of them in the box, and the way his face changed filled Vector with utter glee.</p><p>“Long time no see, Nasch.”</p><p>His voice was perfectly polite as he greeted Nasch - okay, that was a lie, seeing as Yuma kicked him under the table for the tone of his voice, which, ow, rude.</p><p>“Why are you even here, Vector?”</p><p>“Inviting Yuma for dinner. We had a tag duel.”</p><p>“The opponents were odd. It was like they were brainwashed.”</p><p>Nasch stopped glaring at Vector so his eyes could snap towards Yuma.</p><p>“Brainwashed? Like when---”</p><p>“Not like the Barian brainwashing, no. But they were aware of who we were. They were much stronger too, all their cards were… they were cards I never seen before. We had a hard time beating them.”</p><p>“We actually had to form a Chaos Zexal to do so, right, Yuma?”</p><p>Vector said it in his most innocent, playful, teasing tone - and the effect was immediate. Yuma blushed, and Nasch’s eyes widened, as he looked back at Vector with an absolutely gobsmacked expression on his face.</p><p>
  <em> Score. </em>
</p><p>“You did what?!”</p><p>“Formed a Chaos Zexal. Yuma and I,” Vector slowly grinned, resting his chin on his hands. “What is wrong, Nasch? <em> Jealous </em>?”</p><p>“Both of you, stop!”</p><p>Nasch was already opening his mouth when Yuma snapped, pushing himself to his feet.</p><p>“You two are… ridiculous!” Yuma pointed at one and then the other. “If neither of you is gonna ask a question, I can’t answer. And I can’t choose. And maybe I won’t want to choose! Get used to that thought as well. But all of that is moot point unless either of you ask something.”</p><p>With that, Yuma pushed himself to his feet, stepping out of the box.</p><p>“Thanks for the meal.”</p><p>And with that, he was gone, leaving both of them behind, stunned.</p><p>And then Vector laughed out loud.</p><p>“Well. Look at that. He grew more perceptive, didn’t he?”</p><p>He stood up as well and started to walk out, before Nasch grabbed his arm.</p><p>“If I find out you are planning something again…”</p><p>“You are gonna murder me slowly and painfully,” Vector said in a monotone voice, rolling his eyes. “Did I get it right?”</p><p>“No,” Nasch’s voice was cold. “Even if you <em> were </em> to do something, he would not want that. But I will make you <em> wish </em>I would have done that.”</p><p>Ah yes. There was that thing.</p><p>The one thing that made everyone not raise a finger against Vector.</p><p>(And the one thing that made Vector not raise a finger against anyone.)</p><p>“Do you think he would be fine with torture?”</p><p>“Do you think I can’t be creative enough to work it out?”</p><p>Vector snorted, pulling his arm out of Nasch’s hand.</p><p>“Why would I do anything? You should be thanking me. Yuma was in danger and I helped him out.”</p><p>“You would have done that either way.”</p><p>Vector gritted his teeth, turning away, and walked outside of the diner with a little wave.</p><p>“Catch ya around, Nasch~ Thanks for treating us for dinner.”</p><p>He glanced back from outside to see Nasch’s face inside the diner when he realised he was left behind to pay their tab, and Vector couldn’t help but to laugh out.</p><p> </p><p>~*~</p><p> </p><p>He wasn’t always in the city Yuma was staying at. He liked to go around, bother others from time to time.</p><p>But now, there was obviously a new crisis building, so…</p><p>Might as well stay around, right?</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks for reading!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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